Blog #1: Explore the history of the Muslim religion and cultural practices of Afghanistan. Specifically, investigate the following terms: Shi’a, Hazara, Sunni, Pashtun, Zahir, Shah. Kabul, mullah, nika. Intelligently discuss them through blog posts and replying to classmates. The audience for this paragraph is your parents, your classmates or your neighbor.

Shi’a - The Shia are a Muslim group that believes that Muhammad, the Islamic prophet, wished have Alo ibn Abi Talib as his successor. This belief contradicts with the Sunni belief, which is that Muhammad did not intend to have a successor and that Abu Bakr should be the Caliph. The Shias are the second largest Muslim group. Shia Islam is based on the Quran and Muhammad’s message.

Hazara - The Hazaras are a group of people native to central Afghanistan. They speak Dari. They are the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Their culture resembles the Pashtuns and the Tajiks. They are Shia Muslims.

Sunni - The Sunni are a Muslim group that believes that Muhammad did not intend to have a successor and that Abu Bakr should be the Caliph. They are the largest Muslim group. Sunni Islam is the world’s largest religious practice, followed by Catholicism.

Pashtun - The Pashtun are an Iranic group who mainly live in Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are currently about 50 million Pashtuns. They speak Pashto. They believe in Pashtunwali, which is a non-written ethical code and lifestyle.

Zahir - Zahir is an Arabic term that refers to something that is external. It is also a principle that states that the Quran should be strictly followed and adhered to.

Shah - A Shah is a title for the emperors, kings, princes, lords of Iran.

Kabul - Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. All of the main ethnic ethnic groups are housed in Kabul.

Mullah - Mullah is the Arabic word for “guardian” or “master.” It is sometimes given as title to someone who is educated in Islamic theology. It is also given to mosque leaders.

Nika - It is a given name, meaning “good,” of Persian origin.

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Emma C

2/11/2018 08:41:54 pm

Thorough information. To expand upon the class' understanding of the Islam religion and the Afghanistan region, I would recommend making connections to present day in some areas. This will most likely help our understanding of the Kite Runner/ A Thousand Splendid Suns. :)

Madison Roush

2/10/2018 01:28:48 pm

Sunni- As the majority of Islamic people, the Sunni believe that the Caliph after the Prophet Muhammed died should have been a close friend -Abu Bakr.
Shi’a- The minority -the Shi’a - believed that the successor should have been Ali, Muhammad's blood relative.

Due to the large percentage difference, Abu Bakr was honored as Caliph. This creates tension between the sects of Islam.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-16047709

The Hazara- One of the largest ethnic minorities in Afghanistan are the Hazaras. They are highly discriminated against due to their support of the Shi’a and their lineage from the mongol empire. They have more asianic features and do not look Afgani. They were persecuted by the Pashtun and are still being targeted today.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/06/afghanistan-hazaras-160623093601127.html

The Pashtun- The majority ethnic group of Afghanistan and are highly Sunni.
http://www.afghan-network.net/Ethnic-Groups/pashtuns.html

Zahir- The blatant meaning of the Quran. Batin is the underlying meaning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahir_(Islam)

Shah- A Title for the ruler of Persia/Iran and stands for King of Kings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah

Kabul- Capital of Afghanistan

Mullah- An educated Muslim that serves as a cleric for the uneducated.

Nika- A city in Iran or a girl’s name that stands for good or victory in Greek.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah

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Amanda Schlecte

2/11/2018 11:48:59 am

I like your insightful inclusion of the discrimination of the Hazara. I found some similar information, but your details helped me better understand why they were discriminated against.

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Victoria Sutherland

2/11/2018 04:27:28 pm

Nice information! I like that you went into the discrimination of the Hazara people. I think it greatly illustrates the climate in parts of the Middle East.

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Delaney Wetherholt

2/11/2018 04:35:19 pm

Your post was especially helpful to me because it provided multi-dimensional information on how groups interacted and showed potential to get others thinking about how those interactions affect people still today.

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Julia Jackman

2/11/2018 07:07:05 am

Sunni and Shia-The words Sunni and Shi'a appear regularly in stories about the Muslim world but few people know what they really mean. Religion permeates every aspect of life in Muslim countries and understanding Sunni and Shi'a beliefs is important in understanding the modern Muslim world.
Introduction
The division between Sunnis and Shi'as is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam.
They both agree on the fundamentals of Islam and share the same Holy Book (The Qur'an), but there are differences mostly derived from their different historical experiences, political and social developments, as well as ethnic composition.
These differences originate from the question of who would succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the emerging Muslim community after his death. To understand them, we need to know a bit about the Prophet's life and political and spiritual legacy.
The Prophet Muhammad
When the Prophet died in the early 7th century he left not only the religion of Islam but also a community of about one hundred thousand Muslims organised as an Islamic state on the Arabian Peninsula. It was the question of who should succeed the Prophet and lead the fledgling Islamic state that created the divide.
The larger group of Muslims chose Abu Bakr, a close Companion of the Prophet, as the Caliph (politico-social leader) and he was accepted as such by much of the community which saw the succession in political and not spiritual terms. However another smaller group, which also included some of the senior Companions, believed that the Prophet's son-in-law and cousin, Ali, should be Caliph. They understood that the Prophet had appointed him as the sole interpreter of his legacy, in both political and spiritual terms. In the end Abu Bakr was appointed First Caliph.

The Hazara-
The Hazaras are one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan and are estimated to comprise 20 to 25 per cent of the total Afghan population. However, there are no official statistics gathered so far. The Hazaras are predominantly Shia Muslims but a minority of them are Ismaili and Sunni Muslims. The Hazaras reside mainly in the central region of Afghanistan called the ‘Hazarajat’, simply meaning the ‘land of the Hazaras’. During the course of the last three centuries due to an influx of state-sponsored invading neighbouring ethnic groups and oppression over local pastoral lands, the Hazarajat has become much smaller geographically in comparison to the past. As a result of these events, the Hazaras have lost a great deal of their fertile land. To elaborate, most parts of the Hazarajat with fertile land were seized by coercion, mass killings, and forced displacements during the years 1890 to 1900. The arrogated lands were then distributed amongst Pashtun tribes, who were in power at the time. The Hazaras were pushed back to the current location of Hazarajat, which is geographically impassable with mountainous, cold and harsh climates. Some of the Hazaras were forced to seek refuge in Iran and Pakistan. They are now citizens of Iran and Pakistan with a population of about one million in Iran and around half a million in Pakistan
http://worldhazaracouncil.org/en/who-are-the-hazaras/

Pashtun-Pastun, also spelled Pushtun or Pakhtun, Hindustani Pathan, Persian Afghan, Pashto-speaking people residing primarily in the region that lies between the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan and the northern stretch of the Indus River in Pakistan. They constitute the majority of the population of Afghanistan and bore the exclusive name of Afghan before that name came to denote any native of the present land area of Afghanistan.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pashtun

Zahir-
n tafsir, zahir is the exoteric or apparent meaning of the Quran. It is also the underlying principle of the Ẓāhiriyya, a school of thought in Islamic jurisprudence and Aqida known for its insistence on sticking to the manifest or apparent meaning of expressions in the Qur'an and the Sunnah
.www.definitions.net/definition/zahir

Shah-A title of the former monarch of Iran.

Kabul-
Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan as well as its largest city, located in the eastern section of the country. According to estimates in 2015, the population of Kabul is 4.635 million, which includes all the major ethnic groups. Rapid urbanization had made Kabul the world's 64th largest city.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabul
iMullah-
a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law.

Nika-a given name of Persian origin meaning "Good". It also means "Victory" in Greek. In Slovenia and Croatia, it is used as a feminine form of Nikola or Nikolaj.
People · Fictional character

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Grace Phillips

2/11/2018 07:28:04 am

You had some neat findings! It's very interesting how the Pashtun were the first to use "Afghan," and how "Nika" is used beyond the Middle East! I was very surprised by the population and rapid urbanization of Kabul; it's more than I would have expected given the country's turbulent recent history, but nice to see given that exact reason.

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Ali

2/13/2018 06:44:44 pm

I like how you grouped the Shia and Sunni together because they are so closely related and discussed them at the same time.

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Grace Phillips

2/11/2018 07:18:24 am

Shi’a is the smaller of the two major sects of Islam, the other (and larger) being Sunni. Approximately ten percent of Muslims are of the Shi’a sect, which believes in Muhammad’s successor having been chosen divinely, whereas Sunni Muslims believe no successor was ever decided on. Despite their differences, they both follow the Quran, the sacred text of Islam, whose concrete, external meaning is referred to as zahir. Some Muslims even memorize the entire text; these highly-educated men and women are known as mullahs.

In Afghanistan, whose capital is Kabul, between ten and twenty percent of the population is estimated to be of the Shi’a Islam belief. The Hazaras, an Afghani and Pakistani ethnic group, are widely Shi’a Muslims as well. Another ethnic group, the Pashtuns, are primarily Sunni, but do have a small Shi’a community; these people are commonly found in a rural part of Afghanistan called the Nika District. Currently, Afghanistan is led by a president, its past leaders were sometimes referred to as “shah,” a king-like title.

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Madison Roush

2/11/2018 07:24:42 am

This is a nice, concise combination of all the terms. I was wondering if you found more about Zahir because I had trouble finding different information about it other than what we both had.

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Adam Job

2/11/2018 09:32:24 am

This is a great background passage. It explores the outline of the history of the Muslim religion and cultural practices with precise detail. It also helped me clear up my own confusion about Zahir.

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Julia Jackman

2/11/2018 05:13:04 pm

Very well written! The way that you wrote it really helped me connect some of the dots and missing pieces.

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Victoria Fair

2/11/2018 08:01:44 am

Hazara: A ethnic minority that lives largely in Afghanistan.The group is largely Shiite, meaning they follow the Shia version of Islam. Being an ethnic minority, and following the Shia version of Islam can lead to some large differences between people in Afghanistan which can cause some conflicts of interest. This has lead to some massacres of the Hazara by the Taliban forces, who are an extremist group that follows the Sunni version of Islam.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/explainer-who-are-the-hazaras

Shia and Sunni: The Sunni version of Islam believes that the prophet chose Abu Bakr to be the next leader after him. The Shia version of Islam however does not believe this, they believe that Ali was the one that the prophet chose to succeed him. They both have different supporting reasons for this, but there still lays a divide between the two types of Islam. Both however do believe that Muhammad was the final prophet, his successor being the leader that follow him, not the net prophet. Most in Afghanistan follow Sunni Islam.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/subdivisions/sunnishia_1.shtml

Pashtun: They make up the majority of the population in Afghanistan and are mostly Sunni.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pashtun

Zahir: The apparent external meaning of the Quran, the underlying meaning would be referred to as the batin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahir_(Islam)

Shah: A title given to emperors, kings, princes, and lords of Iran.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah

Kabul: Afghanistan's capital

Mullah: a title for a Muslim who is educated in and can teach the sacred law of Islam.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mullah

Nika: A remote district in the Paktika Province in Afghanistan, it is very hard to access. The economy relies heavily on farming and wood cutting. The area is comprised of Pashtun people and tribal people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_District

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Jessica Scopas

2/11/2018 05:43:05 pm

I enjoyed how you kept the description short and simple it helped further my understanding.

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Adam Job

2/11/2018 09:49:09 am

Dating back to the 7th century, the Islam religion has been a major influence of life for a long time. Soon the group split into two groups, Shiites and Sunnis. This split was over debate of who should be the rightful leader of the religion following the death of their current leader.
Among those two major groups are many other sub groups that make up the Islam population of Afghanistan and surrounding areas. Shi'a followers that speak the Dari language, located in central Afghanistan, are known as the Hazara. Those who speak the pashto language and are located in southern Afghanistan/ Northwest Pakistan are known as the Pashtun. Other terms in the culture include both a Shah, a former monarch of Iran, and a mullah, who is a person learned in Islamic theory and sacred law.

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Corinne Wegner

2/11/2018 03:06:32 pm

This post was very helpful in aiding my understanding of the different definitions and furthering my own definitions. It is a a general paragraph that explains how each terms are related.

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Amanda Schlecte

2/11/2018 11:41:15 am

The Muslim religion is a monotheistic faith that has many different branches and ethnic groups. The Shi’a are the 2nd largest branch of Islam that make up about 10-13 percent of the faith. The Shi'a beliefs, that Muhammad had a successor, directly contrast with the Sunni -- the largest Islamic group-- who believe Muhammad did not appoint a successor. The Sunni form about 87-90 percent of the faith.

Hazaras are an Afghan and Pakistani ethnic group that have been persecuted often throughout history. The Pashtun are a Pakistani ethnic group that also live in Afghanistan, particularly in the Nika district-- also known as the Naka. Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul is also Afghanistan’s largest city and is home to all of the major ethnic groups.

The zahir is an underlying principle that expresses the Quran and Sunnah; this principle is followed by both the Shi’a and the Sunni. The islamic theology and sacred law surrounding the Quran is known as Mullah. Shah is a term for Iran’s former kings/ monarchs.

I enjoyed that the information was kept concise and was written in a way that connected terms that made sense to be connected but also separated the information in a way that made it easy to read and digest.

Islam today is in conflict, between western secular culture and traditional Islamic culture. The growth of Islamic Fundamentalism is an attempt to reach back to the glories of Islamic history.

Shi’a: One of the two main beliefs of Islam. Mainly followed by those in Iran. Ali, the fourth Caliph, is believed to be Muhammad’s first ‘true successor.’
Hazura: The Dari (Persian)-speaking people of Afghanistan, they are mainly Shiites, and are commonly discriminated against for being a minority by the Sunnis.
Sunni: The other dominant belief system of Islam. This is the Christianity of America. These folks accept the first three Caliphs.
Pashtun: Pashto-sepaking people of Eastern Iran, they constitute the majority of Afghanistan. Mainly Sunni.
Zahir: Is referred to as exterior or apparent meaning of just about anything, not just the Q’ran. Another related word, Batin, is referred to as the interior or soul of something.
Shah: An individual who was once a monarch of Iran.
Kabul: Afghanistan’s capital and largest city.
Mullah: A learned individual of the Islamic theocracy.

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Julia Jackman

2/11/2018 05:19:54 pm

I think it is helpful how you tied the history of the Islamic culture into what is presently going on in Islam, also the American analogies helped to clear up some of my own confusion.

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Delaney Wetherholt

2/11/2018 04:29:46 pm

Islam is the newest, compared to Christianity, Judaism, and other globally practiced religions - Founded in 7th Century Saudi Arabia
The religion is generally credited to Muhammad who wrote the Qur’an, which is analogous to the Bible.
There are two branches of Islam - Shi’a and Sunni. Both branches are the same in that they believe in Muhammad, read the Qur’an, and share the same fundamentals. The major difference between the two is that Shi’a Muslims believed that a direct descendant of Muhammad should reign, while the Sunni Muslims believed that the caliph was the rightful leader and was chosen specifically by the Prophet.
Hazara and Pashtun go hand in hand with Shi’a and Sunni. Hazaras are Shi’a Muslims and Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims (In relation to The Kite Runner, Amir is Pashtun and Hassan is Hazara). Pashtuns are Eastern Iranian people who speak Pashto and who follow Pashtunwali. Pashtunwali is a specific ethical code and lifestyle. Hazaras are located in central Afghanistan and speak either Persian or Afghani.
In certain interpretations of Islam, it is said that the Qur’an has an obvious meaning (Zahir) and an underlying meaning (Batin).
A Shah is the name for a king in Iran.
Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan.
A Mullah is someone who teaches Islam.
Nika, simply, means good.

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Brooke Simmer

2/11/2018 05:15:26 pm

I like how your post is clear and concise for each topic. But I am struggling with the meaning for Nika, Vistoira F. found it to be a remote area in Afghanistan, while many people have found it as meaning good, or a name that instills good will or feeling, while I and a few others have found a varied spelling with adding an H at the end to be a type of Sunni marriage. It leaves me to wonder what the proper meaning is, I hope we talk about it in class monday.

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Corinne Wegner

2/11/2018 04:45:40 pm

The Shi'a and Sunnis sects of Islam were split after Muhammad's death, where each believe that different people should take Muhammad's position. Hazaras and Pashtun people follow Shi'a and Sunni Islam respectively, and both of these groups have suffered persecution throughout history.

Kabul is the capitol of Afghanistan as well as its largest city,

Zahir is the meaning of the Qur'an to mankind and how it is to be interpreted, and a mullah is someone trained in Islamic theology.

The Shah is the name given to emperors and leaders of the Islamic World and Ottoman Empire.

A nika is a marriage contract between a man and a woman.

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Brooke Simmer

2/11/2018 05:08:36 pm

Shi’a-
Islam is split into two major branches, one of which is Shi’a. The Shi’a differ from the Sunni(the other major branch of Islam) in their belief of the line of the Prophet Muhammad's successor. The Shia branch is most common in Iraq and is also regularly found in Bahrain and Yemen. The Shia are a part of Islam so their holy book is the Quran and their god is Allah.
Hazara-
Hazaras are an ethnic minority within Afghanistan. They are descendants of Mongols that raided Afghanistan in the 13th century. They are often discriminated against, only earning equal rights in afghanistan in 2004, because they are Shia, while most of Afghanistan is Sunni.
Sunni-
The sunni branch of Islam is the larger of the two main branches. The sunnis believe that the first Caliphs were the rightful leaders of Islam after Muhammad’s death, unlike the Shia’s belief that they should follow Muhammad's bloodline to find religious leaders. Afghanistan has a very large majority Sunni population.
Pashtun-
Ethnic tribal bloodlines that extend potentially to a King of Israel. There bloodlines have created proud tribes and families that hold themselves to a high esteem due to their reported ancestry. Blood feuds are common between the often waring branches of the ancient family.
Zahir-
The Zahir is the direct and most clear interpretation of the Quran, Islam's religious book.
Shah-
The title of the highest monarch and family in Iran.
Kabul-
The capital city of Afghanistan, while also being its most populated city, with most every ethnic group in Afghanistan being present in Kabul.
Mullah-
A Muslim scholar that is educated about Islam and its theology and laws.
Nika(h?)-
A type of Marriage proposal in Sunni Islam, which is different in what is required of the bride and groom than a traditional Sunni marriage, for example the Nika does not require couples to live together.

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Josh Schember

2/13/2018 06:13:18 pm

I liked that you went to an in-depth understanding of these topics and not just a google definition. It really helps with the understanding. I also noticed that some of your definitions differed from other people's. Is that because your definitions were less broad?

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jessica scopas

2/11/2018 06:14:32 pm

Pashtun- an Iranic group who mainly live in Pakistan and Afghanistan.They believe in Pashtunwali, which is a non-written ethical code and lifestyle. http://www.afghan-network.net/Ethnic-Groups/pashtuns.html
Shah-A title of the former monarch of Iran.

The Hazara- One of the largest ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, they are highly discriminated against due to their support of the Shi’a and their lineage from the mongol empire.http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/06/afghanistan-hazaras-160623093601127.html

Sunni- two main branches of Islam

Zahir-is the exoteric or apparent meaning of the Quran, underlying principle of the Ẓāhiriyya, .www.definitions.net/definition/zahir

Kabul- Capital of Afghanistan
Mullah- An educated Muslim that serves as a cleric for the uneducated.

Nika- A city in Iran or a girl’s name that stands for good or victory in Greek.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah
Some fun facts
-The Arabs introduced Islam in the 7th century and the Turks briefly made Afghanistan the center of Islamic power and civilization at the beginning of the 11th century.
-Nawroz, the New Year celebration, which occurs on March 21, ‘new day,’celebrated with picnics, similar to our cookouts roots in Zoroastrianism, a religion brought from Persia long before the rise of Islam
- Muslim holidays. The two most important holidays are ‘Eid al Fitr and 'Eid-al-Qurban.
Eid al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of ritual fasting associated with the lunar calendar
‘Eid-al-Adha, marks the preparation for hajj, which takes place during the 12th month of the Muslim calendar,
-Friday is the muslim holy day so many stores and shops will be closed that day
- In afghanistan family members are held to high expectations do not shame the family and follow the rules. They have certain times when there is time for play and when work needs to be done
I personally like how the muslim religion unites people doing the celebration. These celebrations aren't just holidays that turned sour, much like christmas, they are a way for people to connect.
http://eafghanag.ucdavis.edu/country-info/culture-and-working-locally/Man_Afghan_Culture_CWTI.pdf

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Zak D'Angelo

2/13/2018 05:59:44 pm

I enjoyed how you included lots of information regarding the Islamic culture, as compared to just a sentence. Knowing traditions and common practices are crucial to one's understanding of such!

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Ali

2/11/2018 08:05:31 pm

Shi’a: division between Sunni and Shia dates to the death of the prophet Muhammad, when his followers were faced with the decision of who would be his successor as the leader of Islam. 10% of worldwide Muslims, direct relative of Muhammad.Imamate, the idea that the successor of Muhammad be more than a political leader.The Imam must also be a spiritual leader, the Twelve Imams who succeeded the prophet were sinless and had been chosen by Allah through Muhammad.

Hazara: An ethnic group of people in Afghanistan who are predominantly Shi’a.

Sunni:The Sunnis recognize the first four caliphs as the Prophet Muhammad’s rightful successors. the leadership of Islam as being determined not by divine order but by the present day politics of the Muslim world.

Pashtun: They constitute the majority of the population of Afghanistan, bore the exclusive name of Afghan before that name came to denote any native of present Afghanistan.

Zahir: Explicit meaning of the words or the Quran. Literal interpretation of the Quran.

Shah: Title of the former monarch or Iran,

Kabul: Capital of Afghanistan (1776), 4 and ½ million people, over 3,500 years old, strategic location along the silk road, home of conquests.

Mullah: A Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law.

Nika: District in Afghanistan, “good” In Persian, heavily tribal, agricultural economy, bowl-like valley, only accessible by a single dirt road

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Amanda Schlecte

2/13/2018 08:22:28 am

I like how you included multiple different interpretations for the definition of "Nika" because many people found different interpretations.

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Emma C

2/11/2018 08:38:19 pm

Shi’a- One of the main two branches of Islam. . Ali was considered the only legitimate caliph after Muhammed. The Shi’a believe that caliphs must be appointed by God.
Sunni- One of the main two branches of islam.Sunni muslims believe Muhammed did determine a successor to be caliph and that qualified member f the community such as religious leaders should be elected.
The conflicts between the two groups today exist in the Shi'a desire to reinstate the divine caliph and the Sunni fighting to remain within a sort of voting system.

Hazara- An ethnic group that speaks Dari and is located in central afghanistan. Many Hazaras practice the Shi’a form of Islam. As Hazaras are a minority within Afghanistan and in Islam, as they practice the Shi’a form of Islam, they are subject to discrimination.

Pashtun-An ethnic group in southern Afghanistan and northwestern pakistan that speak pashto.

Zahir- the general apparent meaning of the Quran

Shah- the title of a previous ruler.

Kabul- the largest city and capital of Afghanistan. It contains all of Afghanistan’s major ethnic groups which contributes to the turmoil within that region.

Mullah- An educated Muslim trained in religious law.

Nika- There appears to be a wide range of potential meaning for this. A discussion in class would be best to determine the best/ correct definition.

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Josh Schember

2/13/2018 06:09:19 pm

Shi'a - one of the two main branches of Islam, followed especially in Iran, that rejects the first three Sunni caliphs and regards Ali, the fourth caliph, as Muhammad's first true successor

Hazara - A member of a Dari-speaking, predominantly Shiite people of central Afghanistan

Sunni - one of the two main branches of Islam, commonly described as orthodox, and differing from Shia in its understanding of the Sunna and in its acceptance of the first three caliphs

Pashtun - a member of a Pashto-speaking people inhabiting southern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan

Zahir - Term from the Quran meaning external manifestation. Meaning the literal interpretation of the Quran itself, whereas the underlying interpretation is called the batin

Shah - a title of the former monarch of Iran

Kabul - Capitol and largest city of Afghanistan

Mullah - A Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law

Nika - Means "good" in Persian or "victory" in Greek. Usually used as a given name.

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Tony Romero

2/14/2018 06:00:11 am

Shi’a - one of the two main branches of Islam, followed especially in Iran, that rejects the first three Sunni caliphs and regards Ali, the fourth caliph, as Muhammad's first true successor.

Hazara - an ethnic group native to the region of Hazarajat in central Afghanistan

Sunni - one of the two main branches of Islam, commonly described as orthodox, and differing from Shia in its understanding of the Sunna and in its acceptance of the first three caliphs.

Pashtun - a member of a Pashto-speaking people inhabiting southern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan.

Zahir - he underlying principle of the Ẓāhiriyya, a school of thought in Islamic jurisprudence and theology known for its insistence on sticking to the manifest or apparent meaning of expressions in the Quran and the Sunnah.

Shah - a title of the former monarch of Iran

Kabul - Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan

mullah - a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law.

nika - Nika District, also known as Naka, is one of the most remote districts in Paktika Province, Afghanistan

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